Ponyboy and Company
by edgeof4teeners
Summary: Ponyboy was taking choir. There was passing out, piano playing, a red-faced choir teacher, soc girls, Two-bit's sister, and Two-bit in choir. But was there ever singing? Was there ever going to be singing? Does Ponyboy hear the people sing? I don't know. Read to find out. T to be safe.
1. A No-Choice Induction

**Disclaimer: The Outsiders go to the author of the book: S. E. Hinton**

**I don't own anything else that needs a disclaimer.**

**Chapter 1**

Ponyboy didn't sing. He knew himself, that he couldn't sing. So how did he end up in the choir room singing White Christmas with other students whose names he didn't know?

Answer: He couldn't get into art.

"I'm sorry bud," the principal had apologised. "I mean, I would absolutely oblige to letting you take Art I, but it's full."

Ponyboy was miffed. So skipping Creative Writing to come here was a waste of time?

"Not one spot is opened?" Ponyboy had to ask. "You couldn't squeeze me into one of those classes?"

The principal's gut stuck out big time when taking a big breath, Ponyboy just realised how plump the principal was.

"Son, I could 'squeeze' you into one of the art classes but that would be against school regulations." The principal of course did see Ponyboy's face fall. Therefore, he ran over to his crowded and unorganised desk and took out a paper. He took one look at it. "What about choir? That seem okay?"

Two bit was in choir, and Ponyboy had heard a lot of tales about choir from him.

Like how the choir teacher almost had a heart attack for some reason... And how the choir teacher wasn't really strict, and no one really did take him seriously. And about how the choir teacher really couldn't play the piano and how he didn't have an accompanist because of the school's cheap budget. It was all sad really.

* * *

><p>Ponyboy saw how sad everything was when he walked into the choir room with Karen. The choir teacher looked so red in the face and so tired like he'd been yelling at the class, just sitting there looking like he was about to cry. The students looked like they wanted to laugh rather than cry.<p>

"Um, let's sit in those seats there," Karen said pointing to some chairs in the left side of the room.

No one hadn't even looked in Karen and Ponyboy's direction, everyone was too busy laughing and talking.

"Are you sure we're in the right classroom?" Asked Karen as she looked all over the room. They both sat down. "This looks more like the detention room. Are you sure this is the room my brother directed us to?"

"Yeah..." Ponyboy hesitantly replied. "This room is by the counselor's office right?"

"This is my first day in the highschool, I don't know." Karen frowned. "Where is Two-bit anyway?"

Before Ponyboy could even reply to the question the choir teacher straightened up his posture, stood up, and walked over to the wooden piano that was located left of the room. He began playing random notes. Or notes that seemed random to Ponyboy.

"Shut up!" The choir teacher yelled, he stopped playing the piano. "Let's go over exercises!"

Everyone stopped talking and began to sing "Mama Made Me Mash My M&Ms" and "Yah Yah Yah Yah Yah!"

Karen caught on and started singing with the class, but Ponyboy didn't. He already wasn't taking the choir teacher seriously, and besides the teacher's back was turned. It's not like he saw Ponyboy.

After doing the exercises, the choir teacher got up from the piano and took some music from a box by his desk. He told a girl sitting close and adjacent from him to pass out the music.

When Ponyboy was handed the little pamphlet looking thing, he saw the title. It was "White Christmas." And of course squawking came from some classmates.

"It's September, not Christmas!"

"Mr W why we gotta sing this stuff?"

"This is ridiculous! We should be singing stuff us teens listen to!" (That came from a Soc-looking girl)

Mr W got red in the face again and slammed his fingers on the piano keys. "Be quiet!"

Everyone shut up.

"We're going to learn this song. I don't care that it's September. Altos sing whatcha know, Sops sing what ya know, and uh...Tenor and Bass the same." Mr W began to play.

Yet, someone of course couldn't keep themselves from interrupting. "Mr W, we got two new students!"

Everyone stared at Karen and Ponyboy.

Karen waved awkwardly, and Ponyboy stared down at his lap. _Why couldn't that girl keep quiet?_ He thought to just remain unnoticed in this class since there seemed to have been about a million people in here, and simply do nothing. But that wasn't going to happen.

Ponyboy and Karen separated because Karen ended up in the Soprano section, and Ponyboy had to join the Tenor.

This guy he sat by named Blair showed him what to sing in the tenor parts. When asked if he got how to sing tenor? Ponyboy lied and said yeah.

And before Mr W could even get to the first verse of the song. There was another interruption.

Two-bit walked in.

Mr W decided to call it quits for a day.

All week it had been that way, and Ponyboy decided to loathe choir. He came to the final conclusion that choir was just a class where you could do just about anything and get away with it. Plus during dinner Two-bit, had confirmed it.

They were having chicken, peas, mashed-potatoes, and sweet corn. All four of them; Darry, Sodapop, Ponyboy, and Two-bit. Steve decided not to stick around.

"You won't have to listen to Mr W, Pony. That chump is too soft to get on anybody's bad side, plus he'll try to get angry over on why we won't sing, and who's not singing," Two-bit said almost choking on a pea, he then started to cough.

"Two-bit swallow first, then talk." Darry reprimanded with a roll of his eyes.

Two-bit took a sip of his beer. "Darry I'm multi-tasking. Anyway Pone, trust me if you're late for his class he won't count you tardy."

"And I'm guessing you've been tardy to his class?" Sodapop asked with a wry grin. "Often?"

"You know me."

"Yeah," Ponyboy said, taking a bite of chicken and swallowing it. "You've been late to choir and you still don't have detention. If you have tricks up your sleeves that involve hanky panky I'm not in." Honestly Ponyboy really didn't care about Mr W and his pet-peeves. He was still perplexed on the fact that the highschool choir sucked. Ever since he could remember he had always known the highschool choir to be prestigious. But from what he has seen so far, choir was a class to be lazy in rather than to sing in.

Two-bit laughed. "Oh, shut up. You know I ain't worried about no girls. It's my sister and perhaps you who I'm worried about. That's just about it."

Ponyboy didn't have a response to what Two-bit said. "Well, I probably won't sing in that class, besides I can't sing. It's not my fault I have to take choir."

Darry furrowed his eyebrows at him. "Ponyboy you should still try in that class, if you still get a letter grade in there."

Sodapop snickered, "what does he have you two singin' in Choir anyway? Church hymns?"

Two-bit shrugged. "Heck if I know, all I know is those exercises."

"All it's been is 'White Christmas'," Ponyboy said. "Nothin' else."

"It's September," is what Two-bit, Sodapop, and Darry said in unison.

Ponyboy could only think, _Mr W really is ridiculous._

* * *

><p>Mr W must've been fed up. No one, absolutely no one in class could sing any of the correct notes to White Christmas. Everyone would go to melody, and it would sound mediocrely. Mr W was appalled.<p>

So when he said(after saying "be quiet" constantly until everyone stopped talking), "class we're moving in a new direction. I'll hand out a new song to you." Ponyboy, including others (or everyone entirely) couldn't help but find that a relief.

Ponyboy saw Karen exclaim yes, and he nearly about chuckled. Two-bit hadn't told him what Karen thoughts about Choir and having to sing "White Christmas" were. But she probably had the same thoughts as him.

When they were handed a new song-sheet everyone groaned. It was "The First Noel."

Just great.

And of course did the choir teacher just frustrate himself even more.

Going over notes were painful, and the actual singing was appalling; not in a good way either.

"I just wish that instead of playing this piano, I could conduct and fix these errors you all keep making. Does anyone know how to play the piano?"

1 person: "I know how to play a couple chords.

Another person: "Um, my sister can. But uh, she lives in Bartlesville. And my grandma can too, but she lives in Dewey."

"No! No! No!" Mr W rubbed his eyes. "I mean does anyone in here know how to play the actual piano? You know, play the accompaniment and all."

If this meant Ponyboy didn't have to sing, then further ado did he raise his hand. "I can Mr Wallace."

"Who said that?" Mr W asked, squinting at the sound of Ponyboy's voice.

Ponyboy had barely ever said a word in class. So now that he was just speaking Mr W didn't know his voice, he didn't know who was speaking.

All eyes turned to Ponyboy. "I did sir," he said in a timid manner. "Um, I could play this if ya like."

So imagine, old Ponyboy doing something for the choir teacher. It wasn't really a challenge, yet Ponyboy had needed to brush up on his piano playing skills. He hadn't played since the age of twelve.

Yet, before his fingers could even touch the piano keys, someone passed out.

Just great.

"Oh, the devil!" Exclaimed Mr W, "what happened?!"

"Sir. Blanche, I think locked her knees or somethin'! She passed out!"

Mr W hadn't let in sink in yet. His only reply: "Oh."

Ponyboy saw that it took 1...2...3s..."Oh, someone call the nurse! Go get the nurse!" For Mr W to command that, and to start freaking out.

Everything turned into a big scene!

* * *

><p>"Guys we should all pray for Blanche." This one girl named Penny said. She wore really nice clothes. "She'll be in the hospital for a day or two, but her heart prob'ly isn't doing too well."<p>

Blair rolled his eyes. "You're actin' like she died. Get over yourself. Just be glad we were let out early in Choir. I need to go and get some munch anyway. Anyone want to come with?"

Everybody from choir sat outside the school on the steps. Class was let out early. Everyone was happy for the freedom. But boredom came about the atmosphere.

"I'll come with," is what Ponyboy said. He got up from the steps and followed Blair. Karen did too. Practically everyone came along.

So when Sodapop, Steve, and Twobit saw the class of choir students walk in, there looks read: what the hell?

Some classmates decided to wait outside. You know to spoke cigarettes and spit on the gravel.

Ponyboy acted as if he didn't see the trio. He walked over to where the beverages were and picked out a Pepsi. Closing the door he jumped when he saw Sodapop and Steve.

"Shit, Soda!"

Two-bit was too busy arguing with Karen.

"Ponyboy," Sodapop said with curiosity, his brown eyes gleaming. "What are you doin' here with your classmates? Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"Yeah, but we were let out in choir a little early." Ponyboy said with a little shrug. Like it was no problem. "Here's twenty five cents."

Sodapop refused to take the change. He was about to ask Ponyboy another question, but his best friend beat him to it.

Steve rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but why didn't you stay at school? Don't ya have class in ten minutes or something? You'll never make it."

"Shut up Randle, last time I remembered you were in school, too." It was true, although Steve was a senior he didn't have to take much classes, making more time at the DX.

"Hey you little mother fu—"

Ponyboy just chose to ignore Steve and walked outside. He hoped Soda wouldn't tell Darry about him leaving school. Besides, him and his Choir mates were going back to school. Nothing to sweat about.

When Ponyboy and Company returned to school, Mr W was red in the face. "Where in the heck were all of you!" He exclaimed with precision, "at the DX?"

"Yeah, pretty much," commented Blair as he crammed some M&Ms in his mouth. "Here's some gum." He handed the choir teacher some gum, who took it wearily.

"You guys should've asked. Is this mint?" He put a strip of gum in his mouth. Chewing it quite loudly much to everyone's chagrin.

"Yeah," said Blair paying no mind to Mr W. he then made his way inside the brick building. The bell had rung and people begun to disperse, Ponyboy being one of them was about to head up the steps until Mr W stopped him. "Hey, Pony...Bo—"

"It's Ponyboy."

"Yes, Ponyboy. Are you still up to playing the piano?"

"Yeah. I guess."

Mr W smiled. "Good good. Well, see you tomorrow."

Ponyboy then walked to English.


	2. I've Been Dreaming of a Good Choir

**Disclaimer: Never did I own the Outsiders. All rights go to SE Hinton. Seriously, it goes to the respectful owner...and everything else that needs a disclaimer.**

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 2**

That night Ponyboy got a call from Karen. She asked him if he would like to go out and riding with some people from choir. At first he thought to say no but he found himself accepting the invitation.

It was on a school night of course. So, he found himself bending Darry's rules.

Blair's car stopped in front of his house, and he honked only once.

Ponyboy knew Sodapop was knocked out, and he knew that Darry was working an extra shift. So he was good. No one would be seeing him sneak out.

* * *

><p>"So, Ponyboy how's things been?" Blair asked driving recklessly down the road. He had the windows down. "You been practicing' your piano playing?"<p>

Ponyboy shrugged and looked out the window, it was a calm night. He lit up a cigarette. "Not really. I forgot I even had a piano."

Karen opened a coke bottle and smiled. "Well, I'm sure you'll make Mr W's day tomorrow. We might actually get things done."

Ponyboy shrugged once more.

After a couple minutes, Blair pulled up in front of a house that seemed to be crowded with party guests. All the lights were on in the house from what Ponyboy could see in the windows. It kind of looked familiar. But he didn't pay no mind to it.

"Hey, isn't this your brother's ex's house?" Asked Gordon, who had been napping in the passenger's seat. He sang bass in choir. He rubbed his eyes and peered out the window. "Uh-uh, it ain't. It's Curly's house. The Shepard's house."

Ponyboy was still. He glanced out the car window. It sure was the Sherpard house. He could tell by the raggedness and morality of it all.

"Uh, guys I think I'll walk back to my house," Ponyboy said slowly, opening the door. "I'll see you all at school tomorrow."

Yet, Blair couldn't help but give Ponyboy a look like he was crazy. "Ponyboy, you wouldn't want a soc to jump you, right? Perhaps, maybe, we'll hang out here for a bit, and then'll take you home, got it?"

_Ponyboy you don't use your head._ He could hear Darry say. I bet if he was here right now he would be saying such thing.

Karen looked at him knowingly. She knew that Ponyboy was longing for home now, and she was perhaps beginning to have second thoughts about ever coming along too. But before she could voice out her thoughts doors began to open, and everyone got out the vehicle.

* * *

><p>Ponyboy didn't like to drink. He tried it once, got sick, and Darry grounded him. Offered a beer, Pony declined it. He grabbed a Pepsi out the fridge and was scared to walk out the kitchen since it really was the only empty room in the house, and - sort of - the cleanest.<p>

Bravely, he walked back into the crowded living room and was immediately grabbed by the collar. "Ponyboy, watcha doin' here at such a ungodly hour?!"

It was Curly. Curly Shepard.

He wore a buzzed smile, while lazily chomping on some potato chips. "You been in school and stuff?!"

"Yeah." Ponyboy then walked past the goober and decided to look for Blair. He needed to go home. It seemed to have been going on 10:30 pm.

"Ponyboy?" A feminine yet annoying voice yarned. "Is that you?"

He saw that it was Angela. She sized him up and then ran over to him. "I've been needin' to talk to you about something."

He rolled his eyes, he knew exactly what this was about.

"Angela, I'm sorry for calling you a mean word!" He exclaimed. "Jus' get over it!"

She looked confused. "Huh? You think it's about that? You called me a mean name?" She shrugged and continued to talk. "Um, I heard it through a grapevine that you can play the pianny."

"The what?"

"You know, the pianny. The thing with the ivory keys..."

She meant the piano.

"Yeah, yeah...I can play the..piano." Ponyboy said very slowly. He lit up a cancer stick on the spot. "But, how come you bring that up?"

Unless...

Her face beamed all dramatically like she was waiting for him to ask that. "WELL! I'm participating in the talent show at the community centre!" She said this very loudly and everyone in the very room started to laugh.

Ponyboy wasn't one of the laughers. But, he had to pinch himself in the thigh. "I'm not really that good of a piano player...and besides, I only play the piano in choir and at my house when I am practicing. I can't help you prepare for a talent show. What song do you want to sing anyway?"

She blushed, looking rather embarrassed for a moment. But she eventually spit it out. "It is from this movie 'Suzy'with Jean Harlow in it...'Did I Remember' is the name."

Before he could even reply to that, he heard glass shatter.

"DAMN SOCS!" Tim cursed, he was storming down the steps in a fit of rage. "And I jus' fixed that window...Angela go get Curl!"

It wasn't the Socs, it was just some person Tim had fought the other day. A mere acquaintance who didn't like the idea of losing a fight after slashing one's tires.

Angela hiked up her skirt and walked frustratedly to the kitchen.

Whew! Now that she was gone Ponyboy looked for Blair. Despite a Soc threat have just come about. everyone carried on as they were before.

Walking around the unkempt and crowded house he spotted Karen who he hadn't see for over an hour. She looked (believe it or not) wasted. And that scared the bejesus out of Pony. Two-Bit was going to be angry with him..he was going to be angry with him...if Karen was gonna come home drunk, and...

He just knew Karen couldn't be drunk. Like, no way.

Walking over speedily to Karen, a guy was speaking to her.

"Would you like, ya know, want to pank it up in a room upstairs?" The dude had wryly gingered hair, and wore a muscle shirt. Ponyboy had seen him around somewhere. I think Darry or Sodapop, no, Two-bit! That's who! Told him that this guy wasn't good news. I think his name was Reise.

"Karen!" Ponyboy called to her. He decided to stand a couple feet away. "Blair's hitched up the car, we gotta skedaddle." Damn, he sounded lame, and he knew it.

Karen listened, glancing at Ponyboy and nodding her head she began to walk in his direction. But her eyes stayed focused on Reise.

Ponyboy had to steer her by her shoulders. He still didn't know where Blair was.

Yet, he saw Gordon. Who was having a knife fight with one of the hoods. People crowded around them. Cheering on the fight. No need to interfere with that.

Blair. Blair. Where could Blair be?

At first he didn't feel someone following them. He was still steering Karen who could barely stand up to the back door. That made things hard. Yet when he walked into the kitchen and didn't hear the door immediately shut. He cursed inside his head.

"Pone, what in tarnation?!" He saw Soda but he heard Two-Bit.

* * *

><p>Ponyboy kept telling himself to keep playing the song. Don't stop. Don't stop. He fingered diligently on the piano as Mr W conducted and directed.<p>

"Altos I need double forte!"

"Tenors don't go down an octave. You aren't robots!"

"Bass, bass, bass! Don't sing melody!"

Sops, what did I say? In order for you all to hit the high notes open your mouths! Eat gum!"

Ponyboy had stayed up all night last night arguing with Darry, and Sodapop kept on telling him before he went to sleep after the arguing that, "PB, Darry's just disappointed in you. He wants you to make something of yourself remember?"

Oh, and he didn't forget that thump on the head Two-Bit gave him. It still hurt like crazy and it left a purple bruise on his forehead. "Ponyboy, why is Karen boozed up? Huh?! Reise, huh?! Damn, I don't know what my mother is gunna say 'bout this?" He then had thumped Ponyboy on the head.

Steve only laughed at Ponyboy. "You stupid little sh-" and perhaps added a snide comment.

So, now as he played on the piano he must've been pretty intelligent. Thinking about last night, and then looking at sheet music and playing on the damnedest piano right now. He wanted to stop playing. He was sacked, and he had a headache despite not drinking a dime last night at the party.

Karen wasn't here today. You know why...

There was a loud thump and a terrible sound that came from the piano!

Ponyboy was asleep on the piano. Head first on the piano.

Blair: "golly, that kid sure had one heck of a night!"

Penny: "is he drunk?!"

Gordon: "um...should we wake him up?"

Mr W shrugged and smiled blissfully. "I was done for today anyway." He grabbed his mug of coffee and walked out the room.

Blair: "Anyone wunna go to the DX?"

(The choir class followed Blair out the classroom with the exception of Ponyboy)

* * *

><p>There were red marks on Ponyboy's face. All of the red marks were the outline of piano keys. He had more of a hearty headache, and oh boy, didn't he feel like crud.<p>

He missed a class, and he was now just entering World History.

The teacher rambled merrily on with the lesson, but Ponyboy couldn't stop thinking about ways to kill Mr W.

Mr W didn't wake him up. He left him in the dark. Everyone left him in the dark. Ponyboy knew what Steve and Twobit would say.

"Stupido!"

"Pone, you are just out of it my boy!"

What I, the narrator or author, would say to Ponyboy is: "Don't take things to heart. It is O.K." But he couldn't hear me of course.

"Hey, greaser," this girl who sat in front of him said, she had turned around. "Your face looks funny."

He shrugged and furrowed his eyebrows. "I know that, and I don't care."

"I am jus' saying, you look funny." She turned back around. Even giggling a little.

He wanted to say something but he didn't waste his time. The bell rang a little bit after that.

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN: Thanks to her favorited and followed, and reviewed.**

**Goldenthorns: Thanks for reviewing! You are so lucky to have a serious choir, if you must know I am in choir, but the choir can't be taken seriously. We aren't a big choir either. Practically it can be a blow off class, but I think the class is getting better, we're learning 'Let it Go' from Frozen for the Christmas concert, so...hopefully it'll be good. But I'm not holding my breath. Anyway, thanks for reviewing very appreciated. :)**


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